Emory University
PAE-24: Sustainability Policy Advocacy

Emory’s Sustainability Vision calls on the university to be a catalyst for sustainability in the immediate community, the region, and beyond. To fulfill Emory’s commitment to promoting sustainability in our community, Emory has advocated for a number of federal, state, and local policies that support sustainability. Emory students, in collaboration with the Georgia Students for Sustainability, participated in an event to educate Georgia state legislators on alternative energy and climate. Emory staff helped coordinate the event, assisted the students with their invitations to legislators, and set up meetings for them. Emory's State Government Affairs Office monitors the findings and recommendations of the House Study Committee on Organic Farming and Raw Milk for any legislative proposals that impact Emory's organic foods and sustainability initiatives. The committee is looking at organic foods in the corporate setting and labeling. Emory has contacted the committee in an effort to be aware of consequent legislation introduced in the 2009 session impacting the organic foods industry, either positive or negative. Regarding local transportation, Emory is in the midst of a 6-year funded project assessing the connectivity of the Clifton Corridor- a densely populated stretch that includes Emory's main campus, the Center for Disease Control, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, particularly in terms of possibly providing rail access. The study, conducted in partnership with the Metro-Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority and Clifton Corridor Transportation Management Association, was awarded roughly $2 million in funds and is currently in the alternative analysis stage. Emory is also represented on the Georgia Transportation Policy Committee, Get Georgia Moving Coalition Board and recently supported funding for alternative transportation, which was passed by the Georgia legislature and is slated for ballot referendum. On a federal level, Emory has been working with Congressman Hank Johnson's office to explore ways to educate the Department of Energy and others about Emory's great work in the area of energy conservation. Emory has a chance to be a part of a university-industry panel, and to that end we are conveying some information on our internal efforts. Emory advocated for the Higher Education Sustainability Act (H.R. 4137), passed in July 2008, which provides grants to higher education institutions and associations to develop and implement sustainability curricula, practices, and academic programs. The bill also directs the Department of Education to convene a national summit of higher education sustainability experts, federal agency staff, and business leaders to identify best practices in sustainability and opportunities for collaboration. Emory advocated on behalf of the university demonstration program included in last Congress' massive energy bill. H.R. 6, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, contains a section (SEC. 491) authorizing universities to serve as a model for green building initiatives. Although university names were stripped from the final bill, we drafted the language to point directly to Emory as one of four universities at which a demonstration project will be conducted.